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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I go about finding out what happened to a vessel at the end of its life?

Entries in the vessel database often indicate the ultimate
fate of the vessel. There is no requirement for an owner to report what
happened to their vessel and sometimes the only indication that
something has happened to it is that it is not re-regeistered. The most common
fate is simply "struck from registry" meaning that it has probably
been broken-up for scrap or beached.

Can two vessels have the same name simultaneously?

Currently no two registered vessels in Canada may have the same name.
In past Shipping Registers some common names were in use by several
vessels simulataneously. Licenced vessels may use the same names - and
even the same name as that of an existing registered vessel as these
names are not 'official'. This can be very confusing for
the researcher.

Why are there gaps in the vessel ownership records for some of the vessels?

The vessel ownership records in the database are drawn from many
different sources and are slowly being compiled. This means that
frequently there are gaps in the records that will be eventually filled-in, some day in the future.

How Complete is the data?

The process is on-going - it would be difficult to ever say that the recorded data for a vessel or a biography is ever 'complete'. Some entries are complete - that is to say there is some data covering most attributes over the entire
span of its life. Others are still in a preliminary form. It represents the "best
available data to date" approach. Updates are being made constantly to make the database more complete and more accurate. This will carry on indefinitely.

What are the prefixes used in the vessel names?

They usually denote their status as naval or government vessels. A complete list can be looked up in the abbreviations section below.

What are the abbreviations used in all of the searchable databases?

Here is documentation of the abbreviations in use, and their expanded meanings.

What are the numbers in parentheses in the vessel names?

If the number following the vessel name are enclosed in parentheses this indicates that the identical name has been used by other vessels. The number in parentheses distinguish one vessel so-named from another. Other names (arabic or roman numerals) the numbers are part of the official name of the vessel.

The other terminology used in the databases is defined the table link below.

Disclaimer: We are a group of volunteers, and this is not an "official" site. The information on this site is for informational purposes only and for the enjoyment of floating heritage. The Nauticapedia Project, its volunteers and its contributing authors assume no liability for any inaccurate or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The information contained about each individual, vessel and firm has been checked to the best of our ability but may contain unintended inaccuracies or omissions. Please cite the source of the information you quote from these articles and database searches.